'Beautiful weed' steadily choking landscapes across southern WA

The invasive arum lily is spreading rapidly across southern Western Australia's forests, prompting calls for the government to intensify eradication efforts on public lands. Conserving the understorey plants is crucial as the weed smothers and outcompetes native species, threatening wildlife habitats. Despite being banned since the 1990s, arum lilies persist in infested forests, with no signs of slowing down.

Over 3,000 private landowners have requested assistance, but questions arise about the government's commitment to tackling the issue in national parks. In Boranup Forest, conservationists have mapped extensive infestations but worry about public land infestations. Local volunteers are petitioning authorities to do more, with some fearing the forest may vanish within five decades without intervention.

The state government's focus is on controlling arum lily in priority areas rather than eradicating it entirely, despite receiving over $2.6 million for control programs over the past nine years. Conservationists hope a recent inclusion in the National Biosecurity Committee's list of priority weeds will lead to innovative control methods, including funding for research into novel solutions.